With more than one million page views and more than 4,000 items, this blog provides news and commentary on public policy, business and economic issues related to the $3 billion California stem cell agency, officially known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine(CIRM). David Jensen, a retired California newsman, has published this blog since January 2005. His email address is djensen@californiastemcellreport.com.

Friday, September 12, 2014

The California stem cell agency hit a couple of firsts this
week when it pumped up its investment this week in the “teabag” diabetes
therapy being developed by ViaCyte, Inc., of San Diego.

The effort, backed by $55 million from the agency, is the
first clinical trial in the United States for a diabetes treatment involving
human embryonic cells (hESC).

It is also likely the first time that the state of
California has directly invested so much money in a single business.

However, the cash and the research work did not happen
overnight. The research began many years ago when ViaCyte was known as
Novocell. The stem cell agency entered the game six years ago. Wednesday’s
$16.6 million cash infusion came on top of $38.5 million already handed out
by the state, which is likely to be a financial player for at least several
more years, assuming the ViaCyte clinical trials go well.

“I can say without doubt that the progress we have made
developing our therapeutic candidate would not have been possible but for the
tremendous support we have received from CIRM(the stem cell agency).
Importantly, CIRM’s support has been multiplied, as it has helped us to
secure other funding sources that we need to drive this project forward.”

About 40 patients are being recruited for the clinical trial.
UC San Diego this week announced that interested persons can contact them at 858-657-7039.
Laikind said other sites are expected to open around the country.

Here is the full text of Laikind’s remarks.

“Good afternoon, I am Dr. Paul Laikind, president and CEO of
ViaCyte.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members
of the ICOC, the Grants Review Working Group, the CIRM staff and especially the
citizens of California whom you all represent, for the continued support of the
work we are doing at ViaCyte to develop what we all hope will be an important,
innovative treatment for diabetes.

“CIRM has been a partner with us in this endeavor since the
early days and your confidence and support has allowed us to make tremendous
progress. Last month we were cleared by
the Food and Drug Administration to begin clinical trials evaluating our stem cell-derived
islet replacement therapy candidate in patients with type 1 diabetes. Following up on that exciting news, it was
proudly announced just yesterday that the first center to enroll patients in
this trial will be the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.

“To our knowledge this will be the first time an embryonic stem
cell derived cell replacement therapy for diabetes will be tested in the
clinic. This exciting development illustrates
the importance of CIRM’s mission for medicine and for California. CIRM is all about breaking new ground, nurturing
promising medical advances and stimulating our great state’s economy.

“I can say without doubt that the progress we have made
developing our therapeutic candidate would not have been possible but for the
tremendous support we have received from CIRM.
Importantly, CIRM’s support has been multiplied, as it has helped us to
secure other funding sources that we need to drive this project forward.

“Some will point out that that we are still at an early
stage with this project and there is no denying that, there is much left to do
and discover. However, together we have
made tremendous progress and increased the odds of success with each milestone
achieved. Whatever the outcome, CIRM has
pushed the boundaries of medicine and is step by step bringing us closer to realizing
the tremendous promise of regenerative medicine.

About Me

The California Stem Cell Report is the only nongovernmental website devoted solely to the $3 billion California stem cell agency. The report is published by David Jensen, who worked for 22 years for The Sacramento Bee in a variety of editing positions, including executive business editor and special projects editor. He was the primary editor on the 1992 Pulitzer Prize-winning series, "The Monkey Wars" by Deborah Blum, which dealt with opposition to research on primates. Jensen served as a press aide in the 1974 campaign and first administration of Gov. Jerry Brown. (Time served: two years and one week.) He writes from his sailboat on the west coast of Mexico with occasional visits to land. Jensen began writing about the stem cell agency in 2005, noting that it is an unprecedented effort that uniquely combines big science, big business, big academia, big politics, religion, ethics and morality as well as life and death. The California Stem Cell Report has been identified as one of the best stem cell sites on the Internet. Its readership includes the media (both mainstream and science), a wide range of academic/research institutions globally, the NIH and California policy makers.